CHINA SPLASH JULY 2017

Riding a Buffalo to School
Addicted to the study of ancient Chinese philosophy, a father from Chengdu escorts his three-year-old son to kindergarten by riding a buffalo. The father and son have been going to school this way since this past winter. Recently, photos were taken and posted on social media raising attention to the oddity. The father, surnamed Li, thinks that traditional culture should be practiced in daily life. On the 3 km route to school, Li teaches his son well-known ancient poems and folk stories, according to seasons, weather and dates. The child also sometimes rides on a pony and donkey, but the buffalo remains his favorite. The mother has concerns about her son’s safety, but Li thinks he should be trained instead of spoiled. It is not illegal to ride animals on roads, but it is suggested to use the sidewalk. (Via Xinhua Net)

China to Grow Potatoes on the Moon
China plans to cultivate food on the surface of the moon during the next manned lunar landing mission in 2018. The news was released during the 2017 Global Space Exploration Conference in Beijing on June 6. A micro ecosystem, including potato seeds, mustard seeds, silk worm eggs, soil, water and air will be shipped to the moon by rocket ship Chang’e 4 and a suitable environment will be created. Plants will generate carbohydrates and oxygen to supply silk worms; silk worms will produce carbon dioxide and waste to sustain the plants. Scientists will closely observe the events during the 100-day experiment. The leader of this project commented that temperature control and energy supply are the most difficult parts to manage.
(Via news.sun0769.com)

Your Parcel Is floating
Express delivery is known to be a hard, but well-paid job. Delivery workers toil almost all year round, regardless of weather, holidays and even floods. At the end of June, days of non-stop rains flooded many parts of Hunan. In Anyi City, water had risen to thigh level in the old part of the city, yet, express staff still managed to get small boats from fishermen and paddled to recipients. Their dedication has been praised by people on social media. (Via hunan.voc.com.cn)

Women to Get Priority in Metro
Special carriages for women are being set up in Shenzhen metro for the first time in the country, starting June 26. The first and last coaches of metro Lines 1, 3, 4 and 5 will be designated as only for women with pink signs. According to Shenzhen Metro, the goal is to advocate the atmosphere of showing love and care to women and cultivate a trend of respecting women and the concept of “ladies first.” It’s not meant to separate men and women. Passengers can still move into the women’s coaches if other coaches are crowded. Related studies into the seven metro lines found out that these four lines have more women riders and will better satisfy their travel needs. (Via southcn.com)

Livestream Nonsense
In China, many people, but especially young girls, live on rewards from livestreaming platforms. A pretty look is enough to get cash rewards from followers. Liu Hao from Sichuan was one follower who, in order to see his favorite hostess smile, stole over 600,000 RMB from another girl in 40 days. Liu’s online identity was a handsome 28-year-old man who worked in a bank. He stole a picture from a Weibo account and updated his own status as such. In reality, he was of average height, 35 years old and jobless with criminal record. During 40 days, he invented all kinds of excuses and convinced his victim to lend him money. On the other hand, he threw all the money to these hostesses. Police found out that he rewarded one specific hostess with over 200,000 RMB alone. (Via Chengdu Business Times)

Teacher Loses Gaokao Tickets
Gaokao is one of the most important annual events for students and teachers, alike, in China where parents and teachers try their best to ensure the kids finish exams smoothly. This year in Chongqing, one teacher forgot her entire class’ admission tickets and desperately asked police for help. They luckily escorted her all the way back to her hotel during the morning rush. On June 7, as police were patrolling in front of Chongqing’s Yucai Middle School, a young woman came to policeman Lu Leilei and asked for help. She was supposed to accompany her class of students to enter the test room, but she forgot all the admission tickets in her hotel room. It was 8:10 in the morning and all exam takers must enter the hall at 8:30 am. Realizing that the trip to and from the hotel would take about 40 minutes, Lu threw the woman a helmet, grabbed a motorbike and off they went. They rocketed through traffic, ran red lights, but finally made it back at 8:23.
(Via sohu.com)

Traveling Kindness is Spontaneous
In the Chengdu subway, a young man used one hand and foot to help stabilize a disabled person’s wheelchair. In his other hand, he continued playing on his phone as if nothing was happening. This scene was photographed by a woman and posted on social media. Within hours, it received large praise and attention. On June 26, a wheelchair passenger got on metro Line 4’s carriage, assisted by subway staff. After the staff left and the train departed, Wu Song, who was sitting beside the disabled man, noticed he was sliding away and quietly put his left hand and foot on one wheel to hold the man. It lasted about 20 minutes until the man got off the train. People complimented Wu’s small, but helpful gesture and the positive energy he showed. The next day, local media found Wu and he revealed that he was actually listening to music instead of playing games, contrary to the assumptions of many netizens. (Via Chengdu Business Times)